In a remote village in Central Madagascar, a cooperative of 300 women, practice the art of silk weaving.

For four generations, these artisans have refined their craft. Traditionally, silk weaving techniques were used in the making of woven burial shrouds. Now these artisans are using this traditional technique to create exquisite handcrafted scarfs.

Craft artisans begin by harvesting live silkworms.

The silkworms spin a cocoon and the worms become a silkmoth. The silkmoths lay eggs that are used to harvest new silkworms.

Once the silkmoth leaves the cocoon, the silk cocoons are collected. Silk cocoons are then placed in a boiling pot of water to extract the silk fibers from within.

Natural silk fiber is then handspun by women artisans to produce silk thread.

The handspun silk thread is then dyed using natural plants, bark, berries, and synthetic extracts. Colors are enhanced and set by rubbing ashes into the fiber. The silk thread is then rinsed and dried for use.

Lastly, on a floor loom, women artisans weave each scarf one fiber at a time. The weaving of one scarf is a lengthy process taking up to a week to produce each hand woven scarf.

These finished 100% silk woven scarfs are as beautiful as the women who make them. Find these scarfs in a variety of colors in-store or online at www.vineyardmarketplace.org.

Madagascar is known for it’s beautiful geographical typography and the only place where many species of God’s creation dwell. If you have never been to Madagascar, your mind might be filled with images of rainforests, waterfalls, and lemurs.

At True Vineyard Ministries, our minds are filled with Madagascar’s people where 9 out of every 10 people live below the poverty line, surviving on less than $2 per day. We know, all too well, this country where 48% of the population is uneducated and under the age of 14. It is a staggering reality which forces many Malagasy people into crimes of desperation, often selling their own daughters into sex slavery. On the streets of Antananarivo, the capital city, live thousands of homeless street children, including prostitutes who are mere teenaged girls. It is a disturbing and harsh reality for much of Madagascar’s youth. This is the real Madagascar and the one, we at True Vineyard, believe matters most to the heart of God.

In 2010 True Vineyard Ministries began seeking Malagasy women to support through our fair trade store, Vineyard Marketplace. Unfortunately, it was a huge challenge to locate artisan cooperatives in Madagascar like those we found in other parts of Africa. The lack of these organized groups directed our path to the very crowded Andravoangy Market, in the heart of Antananarivo. This is where we met Tentely, a highly motivated and organized 28-year old seamstress and mother, with an eye for designing little girl’s smocked dresses. She and three other adult family members, create precious dresses for Vineyard Marketplace..

On our earlier trips, we would purchase 15 or 20 dresses from Tentely, which was great, considering she normally sold 3 or 4 dresses on a “good” week. As her dresses became more popular among our customers, our orders have grown steadily. She is always happy and grateful for this continuing partnership that has literally changed the life of her entire family.

Last year, our efforts focused on moving the Vineyard Marketplace to its current location and developing our online store. This meant having duplicate dresses of the same style in various sizes. Through many coordinated efforts to translate phone calls and emails, we were able to place the first really large order for Tentely, preordering more than 200 dresses at one time. She met all of our expectations and again, just last month, we picked up an order of 330 new dresses!

Because of the divine introduction we had to this courageous girl with a genuine talent for business, we have witnessed Tentely empowered over the past several years. She has become a young woman full of energy and ideas for creating a higher quality dresses for Vineyard Marketplace. Please consider supporting Tentely and True Vineyard Ministries through the purchase of one of these precious dresses for your favorite little princess. All styles and sizes now available online.